Lead Belly was part of a group of left-leaning musicians and had some sympathies for the Communist Party, explaining why he did not sing about Hitler during the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact.
[1] He had previously performed topical songs, but he became outspoken about the rise of fascism during World War II.
[3] Lead Belly believed that Hitler incited the Japanese to start their march of aggression.
[1] It has been suggested that the song was inspired by Lead Belly's brief association with Woody Guthrie.
[4] In 2015, "Mr. Hitler" was included on the five-CD set, "Lead Belly: The Smithsonian Folkways Collection.”[5]